Universal joint.



A. H. FETZER.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

APPLIUATION FILED 00127, 1910.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

State of Ohio, havefinvented certain new' Toallwhomtmayconcem:

Be it known that I, ALLEN H. FErzEn, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Galion, in the count of Crawford and and useful Improvements in Universal Joints; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,- such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains vto make and4 use thesame.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements rin universal joints and is adapted more particularly to be used in connection with-thedriving shaft of a motor and myfobject is to' provide a ball and socket to connect the di'lving shaft'to the shaft of the motor.

A` further object is to so arrange the universal joint that the driving shaft may be positioned at an angle to t shaft of the `motor while rotating.

A further object is to provide ball or cone bearings to cause the ball and socket to rotate in unison.

'A further object is to provide adjusting means for said cones or balls.

A further object is to provide adjustable means for holding the ball and socket together, and, a further object is to provide means for permitting the driving shaft to move longitudinally to compensate for the movement of the vehicle and at the same time cause the driving shaft to rotate with 'the universal joint.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the specification.

In the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this application, Figure 1 is a detail sectional view of the universal joint. Fig. 2 is a sectional view as seen on line 2 2, Fig. 1, and, Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of a slightly modified form of device.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numeralsdesignate correspending parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the engine shaft and 2 indicates the driving shaft, said Vshafts being constructed in an preferred manner. Connected to the end o the engine shaft is a ball 3, over which is adapted to fit a socket 4, said socket being semi-globular to receive the ball and is of such size as to eX- tend beyond the center of the ball. Surrounding the socket 4 and adjacent its free 'specimen of muurmnt. I `v `Application'tiled October 27, 1910. Serial No. 589,358.

PatentedApnZ,1.91.2.

edge is a collar 5, through which are placed at `intervals threaded openings 6 and in thesev openings are placed adjusting screws 7, the exterior of said screws being threaded to engage the threads of the `openm The inner ends of the screws are provi ed with seats 8, with which coperate bearing balls 9, substantially one-half of the bearing balls bein seated in the screws. iThe remaining portions of the bearing balls are entered in substantially 8-shaped openings 10 in the face of the ball, lwhich cause thefball and socket to rotate togetherv andin view of the length and shape of the openings, will .per-V mui ltnvotal action between the ball vand soc e The peripheral fedge of the collar 5 is i' threaded to receive the threads of a cap 11, the body portion of the cap bearing upon the ball 3 to hold the ball seated in the socket, said body portion vof the cap having a circular-"opening 12 therein, throu h which the stem of the ballv 3 projects. Tie flange portion 13 of the cap after being turned onto the collar 5 untilthe body por-v tion of the cap is moved into engagement with the ball, is locked against inde endent rotation of the socket by means of inding screws 14, which binding screws are entered through threaded openings in the ange and bind on the peripheral surface of the collar. The socket 4 is provided with a hollow sleeve 15 into which is introduced Vthe end of the driving vshaft 2 and extending longitudinally of said sleeve are races 16 to receive bearing balls 17, that portion of the driving shaft 2 entering the sleeve having similar races 18 to engage substantially onehalf of bearing balls 17 .Y

The balls 17 are held in their respective races by placing a plate 19 over the outer end of the sleeve 15 and a similar plate 20 onto the inner end of the shaft 2, said plates Vbeing such asto limit the movement of the are mounted upon a stem 22 of a threaded stud 23, the stud being introduced through a threaded opening 24 of the collar 5. In order to readily assemble the socket and ball,

-the bearings are first placed in position and -thesocket then introduced over the ball,l

and in vorder to permit the balls 9 to enter the openings l10, one end of the openings 10 are slightly elongated, or as shown in Fig. 3,the end of the opening 25 may be cut out, as shownat 26,"so-gtli'at the-cone roller will readily enter the opening 2,5."j Y.

In assembling .the socket andlball together the balls -9 are entered into their respective seats in the adjustin screws Tand the socket then entered over t e ball its full distance when the adjusting screws 7 are turned to properly adjust the bearing balls in their respective openin The cap 11 is then introduced into osition over the opposite portion of the ba land turned' onto the collar'funtilfthe curvedportion of the cap is in properengagement :with the face of the ball. The binding screwsllt arethen turned inwardly and forced intoy engagenient with the periphery ofthe collar, there by holding the cap a ainst rotation in either direction. Shoul ball or socket become worn the cap 11 can be turned farther 4onto the collar, thereb compensating for .such wear, and 1i ewise,

should the bearing balls or their respective seats become worn the adjusting screws carrying the bearing balls may be properly rotated to obtain the requisite adjustment. In

this way the socket can be readily removed@ y the parts of the v from the ball. without `interfering in the adjustment'of the bearing balls, and the socket can be locked onto the ball through the medium of the cap without employing bolts or other: devices for holding the parts of the ball and socket together. It `wi1l likewise Abe seen that the universal joint can be swung upwardly or downwardly without iuterfering 'with the action of the driving .said flange having threaded apertures therein, balls in the said openings and extending into the said apertures, screw-threaded memfbersiiiitheapertures contacting the balls for adjusting the same, and a threaded retainingi-iingfscrewedl onto the said flange for retaining` the ball member in the socket and retaining the screws'in the apertures.

In testimony whereof I have 4signed my name to this specification in the presence of twoA subscribing witnesses.

ALLEN H. FETZER.

Witnesses:

FRANK PIGMAN, JACOB SCHEERER. 

